Four (composition)

"Four"
Composition by Miles Davis
from the album Blue Haze
Released	1954 (1954)
Recorded	March 15 and April 3, 1954
Genre	Jazz
Length	4:03 [1] [ better source needed ]
Label	Prestige
Composer(s)	Miles Davis
Producer(s)	Bob Weinstock, Ira Gitler

"Four" is a 1954 jazz standard. It was first recorded and arranged in 1954 by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and released on his album Miles Davis Quartet . ^[2] It is a 32-bar ABAC form. ^[3]

The song composition officially credits Davis ^[4] as the writer. However, there is some controversy that it may have actually been composed by someone and purchased by Davis. The American jazz saxophonist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson has claimed ownership for the song. ^[5]

Personnel

• Miles Davis – trumpet
• Horace Silver – piano
• Percy Heath – double bass
• Art Blakey – drums

Recordings

The following artists have covered this composition.

• Miles Davis – Miles Davis Quartet (1954) ^[6]
• Stan Getz – West Coast Jazz (1955) ^[7]
• Miles Davis – Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1956) ^[8]
• Gene Ammons – Jammin' in Hi Fi with Gene Ammons (1957) ^[9]
• Anita O'Day – Anita O'Day Sings the Winners (1958) ^[10]
• Phineas Newborn – The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr. (1962) ^[11]
• Maynard Ferguson - Maynard '62 (1962) ^[12]
• Sonny Rollins – Sonny Rollins & Co 1964 (1964) ^[13]
• Miles Davis – Four & More (1966) ^[14]
• Joe Henderson – Four (1968) ^[15]
• Red Garland - Red Garland Revisited! (1969)
• Dexter Gordon - Bouncin' with Dex (1976)
• Harry Sweets Edison – Just Friends: Live at Bubba's Jazz Restaurant (1981)
• Chet Baker – Chet Baker in Tokyo (1987)
• Sam Jones – Right Down Front: The Riverside Collection (1988) ^[16]
• Mulgrew Miller – From Day to Day (1990) ^[17]
• Madeline Eastman – Mad About Madeline! (1991) ^[18]
• Terry Edwards - Executes Miles Davis Numbers (1992) ^[19]
• Ron Affif – Vierd Blues (1993) ^[20]
• Guy Barker – The Talented Mr Ripley - OST (with Pete King, Iain Dixon, Robin Aspland, Arne Somogyi and Clark Tracey) (1999) ^[21]
• Anita O'Day – Complete Anita O'Day Clef/Verve Sessions (2000) ^[22]
• Keith Jarrett – My Foolish Heart (2007) ^[23]
• Lambert, Hendricks & Ross – Voices in Modern (2011) ^[24]
• Michael Mayo - Fly (2024) ^[25]

"The Swingers" LP

• Lambert, Hendricks & Ross use Davis's solo on their 1958 album "The Swingers" which caused some conflict between Hendricks and Davis. ^[26]

References

1. Yanow, Scott (2011). "Blue Haze - Miles Davis | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 2 August 2011.
2. Aebersold, Jamey (1995). Jamey Aebersold Play-A-Long - Volume 65 - Four and More. Jamey Aebersold Jazz Inc. pp. ii. ISBN   1-56224-209-1.
3. Levine, Mark (1995). The Jazz theory Book. Sher Music Co. p. 388.
4. Koster, Rick. Texas Music, St. Martin's Press, page 319, (2000) - ISBN   0-312-25425-3
5. "Four". Learnjazzstandards.com. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
6. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
7. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
8. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
9. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
10. "www.allmusic.com" . Retrieved July 21, 2025.
11. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
12. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
13. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
14. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
15. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
16. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
17. Levine, Mark (1995). The Jazz theory Book. Sher Music Co. p. 114.
18. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
19. "www.discogs.com". www.discogs.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
20. "Vierd Blues - Ron Affif | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 29 April 2021.
21. "www.discogs.com". www.discogs.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
22. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
23. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
24. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
25. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
26. Fishko, Sara. "Jon Hendricks | Fishko Files". Wnyc.org. Retrieved 29 April 2021.